Smart Cities and Communities: Connecting Citizens

Overview

Housing shortages, pollution and sustainability, healthcare, infrastructure, creating opportunities for all – these are just some of the pressing issues facing our cities and communities. New thinking is allowing city regions to explore solutions and create smarter, more connected places that can enhance service delivery and improve citizen’s lives. With seven billion people expected to be living in cities and communities in the next 30 years, cities need to reinvent themselves in the way they communicate, plan and respond to the complex needs of their people.

Technology, data and information can be a catalyst for change and ensure that our cities and communities are resilient places ready for the future.Using digital innovation to enhance services and policy outcomes is key to allowing leaders to make better decisions for their local areas and for citizens to be better informed. By utilising data, sensors and smart technology city regions and communities are developing new ways to tackle some of the biggest societal problems. How can policy makers keep the end user in mind, ensuring citizen’s endorsement and active participation in local decisions?

Join us at Smart Cities and Communities: Connecting Citizens to explore the most innovative and efficient ways to use technology and data to tackle some of the biggest problems. Major city leaders and business figures from across the UK and internationally will share their views on how to develop smart and more connected cities.

City leaders, service providers and local authorities are facing diverse and inter-dependent challenges that emerge from a combination of different factors such as population health, infrastructure and the environment. Analysis across all aspects of a city region is required to help tackle the underlying causes of these problems and support the complex needs of citizens more effectively.

Investing in smart policy making and urban planning is increasingly being used to inform policy making and helping to build more efficient public service delivery. Smart technology is shaping more transparent governments, increasing on operational efficiency and improving service and policy outcomes. Forward thinking stakeholders are meeting new demographic challenges by strengthening efforts to reduce bureaucracy, enhance service delivery and boost innovation. Recent exemplars include Amsterdam that was chosen as the European Capital of Innovation (iCapital) 2016 by The European Commission. A holistic vision of innovation in and for the city is leading the way in improving the way people live, access services and businesses work.

A big part of the potential to transform city living relies on citizens themselves. More connected cities, through human and behavior-centred design, is helping to put the focus on real problems people face, and providing the solutions that people will want to use. The smart city vision often fails to recognise the role that citizen’s behaviour and culture play in the way cities work. As part of Manchester’s devolution agenda, FutureEverything is bringing stakeholders together to build and deliver smarter, more connected cities through citizen engagement, culture and the public realm.

As world urbanisation continues to grow and the total population expected to double by 2050, there exists an increased need for better city-based services in transport, infrastructure and health that meet the current pressures and offer citizens a high-quality life. By taking advantage of the available resources, data and technologies, improving efficiency in healthcare and smart mobility has been put at the forefront of national and local strategies around the world.

At Smart Cities and Communities: Connecting Citizens you will have the opportunity to learn how International city projects are using frontier technology to support citizens and use existing resources smarter. We will explore perceptions, experiences and ideas on what makes a city smart to help you tapping your possibilities into the revolution towards a smarter city and community.

Session 1: Smart Policy Making and Urban Planning

Keynote Address

Future Cities Catapult have been researching and prototyping the future planning system with UK Cities, SMEs and Government. Their Future of Planning programme has identified challenges and developed solutions for a more digital, transparent and efficient planning system that will change how we plan.

Delivering 21st century public services, better citizen experiences, and genuinely Smart Cities demands that we don't just focus on the technology. Instead, we need to understand how to develop organisations, cultures, and processes that can truly enable digital transformation. This talk will discuss the ideology - the skills, abilities, and priorities required in policymaking and elsewhere - to implement the right technology and solutions for Smart Cities and Communities

10:20

Question and Answer Session

10:35

Coffee in the Networking Area

Case Study

We often hear the term 'Smart' but what does 'Smart' actually mean for the communities in which we live and work? Smart communities are about connecting people to technology to achieve enhanced daily outcomes and overall improved quality of life. Communities today face constant and diverse challenges, whether it' traffic congestion, homelessness, unemployment, crime or a desire for improved social cohesion. Coupled with this, Government organisations are experiencing increasing budgetary constraints, necessitating targeted expenditure, where it will realise the highest impact and social benefit. This has never been more pertinent. To address the challenges affecting our communities a full collaborative approach is required by Government, citizens and wider organisations. Communities can leverage technology to create strong networks, enabling sharing of information and collaboration within organisations and between organisations to build smarter communities.

Paul Clarke, Head of Government at Esri UK will define aspirations of Smart Communities, discuss initiatives that support the realisation of such aspirations and examine the role of technology to support smart communities through location awareness, public engagement, data driven decision making, sharing and collaboration.

"Exploring the Potential for Smart City Technology to Transform City Living"

Human centred design puts the focus on real problems people have, and solutions that people will want to use. The smart city vision often fails to recognise the role that citizen’s behaviour and culture play in the way cities work. As part of the Smart City concept, bringing stakeholders together would make possible to build and deliver a smarter, more connected cities though human centred design, citizen engagement, and culture and public realm.

12:40

Lunch in the Networking Area

13:40

Chair’s Afternoon Address

13:55

Session 3: Smart Healthcare, Technology and Open Data

13:55

Keynote Address

Improve efficiency and use of technology in healthcare has been put at the forefront of national and local strategies around the world. The aim is to deliver better care and meet rising demand for services by taking advantage of the available resources, data and technologies. Digital Health.London is a virtual digital institute that seeks to capitalize on this, and make it simpler for great health tech ideas to help Londoners and the NHS.

Session 4: Smart Mobility and Intelligent Infrastructure

Closing Keynote Address

Many local services across Europe are using data to improve journey planning in a new, similar way. The technologies and services that enable smarter mobility have a range of capabilities that benefit travellers, service providers and urban planners, offering integrated information services based on real-time data which support better decision-making and enable innovation. Technologies such as IoT can be used to monitor performance, manage traffic flow, report on equipment faults, collect air quality data and many other functions.

15:25

Question and Answer Session

15:35

Chair’s Closing Remarks and Event Close

Register for event

You can no longer register for this event

If you are awaiting funding you can request us to hold your place today to ensure you do not miss out.

Which email address are we sending the offline booking form for Smart Cities and Communities: Connecting Citizens?

Smart Cities – Ambitions for the Future

Data Platforms to Unlock the Potential of Smart Cities

Sponsors

Supporters

Venue

America Square Conference Centre, London

America Square Conference & Events Centre brings together the contemporary with the uniquely historic in bright, innovative spaces located in the heart of the City of London's Square Mile. The historic Roman London Wall runs through the venue providing a memorable backdrop to conferences, where delegates can enjoy presentations, mingle with exhibitors and enjoy a hot lunch in a secure, self-contained suite of rooms.